WEBVTT UNFINISHED BUSINESS ON CAPITOL HILL, BUT NOT A LOT OF TIME LEFT IN THIS CONGRESSIONAL SESSION. BESIDES THE NEED TO BALANCE THE BUDGET TO AVOID A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, TIME'S ALSO RUNNING OUT FOR LAWMAKERS TO REFORM HOW SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS ARE HANDLED ON THE HILL. WHEN THE #METOO MOVEMENT HIT CAPITOL HILL A HANDFUL OF LAWMAKERS ACCUSED OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT WERE FORCED TO RESIGN. INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES JOHN CONYERS, TRENT FRANKS, BLAKE FARENTHOLD, AND SENATOR AL FRANKEN. THE HOUSE AND SENATE HAVE PASSED SEPARATE BILLS BUT HAVE FAILED TO RECONCILE THEM INTO ONE. CONGRESSWOMAN JACKIE SPEIER IS CO-AUTHOR OF THE HOUSE BILL. SO NICE TO HAVE YOU WITH US. BEFORE WE GET INTO THE SPECIFICS OF THOSE BILLS, I WANT TO BACK UP A LITTLE BIT. YOU HAVE CALLED CONGRESS A, "BREEDING GROUND FOR A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT." WHY IS THAT? REP. SPEIER: WELL IT WAS PARTICULARLY BAD IN CONGRESS BECAUSE THE SYSTEM WAS SET UP TO PROTECT THE ACCUSED, THE HARASSER, AND THE RESULT WAS THAT NO ONE EVER KNEW ABOUT IT. THERE WERE CASES THAT WERE SWEPT UNDER THE RUG. AND THE TAXPAYERS ENDED UP PICKING UP THE TAP WHEN THERE WERE SETTLEMENTS. SO THE SYSTEM ALLOWED FOR BAD BEHAVIOR TO CONTINUE AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE. SOLEDAD: YOU HAVE THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO AND YOU TALK ABOUT A CHIEF OF STAFF WHO HELD YOUR FACE AND KISSED YOU, STUCK HIS TONGUE IN YOUR MOUTH AND WAS ULTIMATELY ABOUT A POWER DIFFERENTIAL? IS PART OF THE ISSUE THAT WE LOOK AT CONGRESS AS THESE HALLS OF POWERFUL PEOPLE AND PEOPLE HOPING TO BECOME POWERFUL -- IS THAT TO SOME DEGREE WHAT IS AT WORK HERE? REP. SPEIER: IN PART. THAT IS THE CASE IN MOST SETTINGS. CONGRESS IN PARTICULAR IS HOLLYWOOD FOR UGLY PEOPLE. SOLEDAD: I'VE NEVER HEARD THAT. REP. SPEIER: ONCE YOU ARE THERE, YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE SURROUNDING U.S. STAFF. THEY LAUGH AT YOUR JOKES EVEN WHEN THEY ARE BAD. AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOU'RE CREATING A MONSTER. AND WE'VE GOT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THOSE MONSTERS IN CHECK. SOLEDAD: SO THERE'S PENDING LEGISLATION AS WE MENTIONED WHEN WE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION. START WITH THE HOUSE VERSION. REP. SPEIER: SO THE HOUSE VERSION IS VERY VICTIM CENTRIC. YOU ARE GOING TO BE REPRESENTED BY LEGAL COUNSEL JUST LIKE THE HARASSER IS WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE BEFORE. SOLEDAD: BEFORE, THERE WERE A COUPLE THINGS. YOU COULDN'T TALK TO THE PERSON AT ALL. AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO COVER YOUR LEGAL EXPENSES. REP. SPEIER: EXACTLY. AND THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PART IS THAT THE MEMBER OF CONGRESS IS GOING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANY SETTLEMENT IN TERMS OF COST. SO IT WILL BE INITIALLY PAID OUT BY THE U.S. TREASURY, AND THE MEMBER WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY IT BACK, OR THEIR WAGES WILL BE GARNISHED, AND IF NECESSARY THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY WILL BE GONE. SOLEDAD: IT IS KIND OF CRAZY TO THINK THAT TAXPAYERS WOULD BE FOOTING THE BILL FOR SOMEONE PAYING OUT A SETTLEMENT FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT. REP. SPEIER: EXACTLY, BUT THAT IS HOW IT WORKED BEFORE. SOLEDAD: SO TALK TO ME ABOUT THE SENATE VERSION. REP. SPEIER: SO THE SENATE VERSION IS NOT AS VICTIMS CENTRIC. FOR INSTANCE THEY DO NOT WANT TO HAVE THE VICTIMS OFFERED REPRESENTATION BY LEGAL COUNSEL. THEY ARE ALSO RELUCTANT TO HOLD THE MEMBERS ACCOUNTABLE IF THEY DISCRIMINATE BASED ON THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT. WE IN THE HOUSE THINK THAT AS A MEMBER, YOU SHOULDN'T VIOLATING ANY OF THESE LAWS, AND IF YOU DO SO, YOU SHOULD PAY FOR THE SETTLEMENTS. SOLEDAD: DO YOU THINK YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET THEM TOGETHER BEFORE THE DEADLINE? DO YOU FEEL LIKE SOME OF THE ENERGY OF #METOO IS BEING LOST? REP. SPEIER: I DO THINK THAT THEY MADE A STRATEGIC DECISION AT ONE POINT THINKING THAT THAT HAD COOLED OFF. BUT I THINK AFTER THE ELECTION AND SEEING SO MANY MORE WOMEN GET ELECTED THAT THEY RECOGNIZE THAT THIS ISN'T GOING AWAY. SO I'M ACTUALLY VERY OPTIMISTIC WE'LL GET SOMETHING PASSED. SOLEDAD: SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YOU THINK THAT THE MIDTERM IS A SIGN THAT THE ME TOO MOVEMENT IS ACTUALLY -- CONTINUES TO BE POWERFUL. REP. SPEIER: EXACTLY. I THINK THAT WAS PART OF THE MESSAGE. THAT BLUE WAVE WAS ACTUALLY A PINK W

Advertisement

Rep. Speier on #MeToo: We Have to “Keep Those Monsters in Check”

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 9:01 AM EST Dec 1, 2018

The #MeToo movement rocked Capitol Hill last fall with allegations of sexual misconduct against several lawmakers, leading to promises of change. Yet, no bill passed by either the House or the Senate has made it to the President’s desk. Soledad O’Brien sits down with Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), a co-author of the House bill, about her own abuse experience and why she says Capitol Hill is a breeding ground for harassment.

The #MeToo movement rocked Capitol Hill last fall with allegations of sexual misconduct against several lawmakers, leading to promises of change. Yet, no bill passed by either the House or the Senate has made it to the President’s desk. Soledad O’Brien sits down with Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), a co-author of the House bill, about her own abuse experience and why she says Capitol Hill is a breeding ground for harassment.